02/09/2002 - TFM, a new French distributor jointly owned by Miramax and TF1, plans on going operational from October

TFM, a new French distribution company owned by Miramax and TF1, and headed by Perrine Tézéz/b> plans on being fully operational from October 2002 with a 24-title line up that will take them to the end of 2003. Most of the films are Miramax productions like the latest from Quentin Tarantino, while TF1’s contribution consists in titles like Dark Blue World (Czech Republic), scheduled for a 15 January released, followed on 29 January by a British comedy, The One and Only by Simon Cella Jones. French audiences will have to wait until 16 April to see Bienvenue chez les Rozes by Hervé Palluau, starring Carole Bouquet, and July 2003 for 800 Balles, a zany spaghetti western spoof by Alex de la Iglesia starring Carmen Maura.
TF1’s sales director Thierry Lacaze was put in charge of TFM’s programming and this move resulted in a reshuffle at TF1 International. The international distribution arm, headed by Didier Sapaut, was split into two new divisions: TV programme sales and theatrical distribution, the latter headed by Nicolas Eschbach.